Painfully Intense
by Wisdom's Daughter Alone
Summary: "During their separation, something had happened to Annabeth's feelings. They'd grown painfully intense-like she'd been forced to withdraw from a life-saving medication." My take on Annabeth's thoughts and feelings while Percy was missing. Rated T because I'm a paranoid teenager. Please read and review!


**Hey, guys. This is my oneshot on Annabeth's thoughts and feelings while Percy was missing. It's not very long, but this kind of writing is new to me. So please read and review! PLEASE no flames!**

* * *

Annabeth was about to break. She was almost broken as it was.

Her snapping point was on her. Her feelings were too sharp and intense to put up with anymore.

He'd been gone for three months, and she never stopped looking. She didn't plan on it, until he was found.

That morning, when he didn't show up for breakfast, she thought that he was just being him. When she absolutely couldn't find him anywhere, she swore she had felt her heart stop.

Percy had just vanished without a trace.

* * *

"What? What did you say?" Sally Jackson asked, staring at Annabeth with disbelief written all over her face.

Annabeth's hands trembled as she exhaled heavily.

"He's gone. We looked everywhere at camp and in the mortal world close by. Without a trace, he just vanished."

Tears pricked in Annabeth's eyes for the thousandth time, and Sally put her head in her hands.

"Oh God, my baby boy…"

Paul cleared his throat and put a hand on Sally's shoulder. "Percy might go off on his own sometimes, and he might not be a simple kid, but he always does one thing. He always comes home."

* * *

Annabeth hurriedly thanked Paul and promised to update them on the search for Percy, and then she left. She had a new determination. Percy would come home.

Annabeth bundled up in a coat, gloves, and a hat, and grabbed her celestial bronze knife. She was going searching for Percy on the pegasi with some of her cabin today.

"Leigh!" she called.

Annabeth's fifteen year old sister hustled over.

"Yes?"

"With Malcolm and I gone today, you're senior camper, which means that you're in charge. Please, don't stab Marie. She's only fourteen."

A flicker of a smile crossed Leigh's face. "I'll try to not get too annoyed."

"Good."

Annabeth shouldered her pack and mounted Blackjack. She was the only other person that Percy would let ride him.

Chiron approached her.

"Remember, Annabeth, it is only the first day of the search. If you do not find him, don't lose hope. Good luck."

"Thank you. Be back tonight."

Annabeth and her group of five took to the sky.

* * *

At the campfire that night, Annabeth's hopes were with the campfire: low, bleak, and black, despite the fact that Chiron had told her to not lose hope. Everybody else was downcast, also.

Chiron was speaking. "Annabeth and her group conducted the first search for Percy today. As you can see, he hasn't been found. Annabeth, your account?"

Annabeth inhaled and stood. All of the campers looked at her expectantly.

"As you can see," Annabeth began. "I didn't find him. We scoured Virginia and D.C, and he wasn't there. We will look all over the country until we find him. But we'll start around here."

Drew, the snobby Aphrodite head counselor, piped up.

"Can't you do any _better_?"

Annabeth glared at her.

"Well, Drew, could _you_ find him by getting dirty? You're afraid of breaking a nail."

Drew blushed, and the Hermes cabins snickered.

Chiron stood up and sighed.

"We'll send out another group tomorrow. Annabeth, do you wish to lead?"

Annabeth nodded sullenly. "I'll take some from Athena and some from Hecate. And I'll send out the Hunters, Nico, and Grover."

"That's enough for tonight." Chiron muttered. He swept his hand, and the campfire went out, the black flames gone.

* * *

_You're the reason he's gone!_

Drew had spit those words so venomously at Annabeth at the campfire; she was starting to believe that they were true. She was usually so confident, but with Percy gone, that confidence had started to crumble.

Annabeth put her head in her hands. Drew hadn't even been using Charmspeak, and she believed her.

_You'll find him,_ she reminded herself. _You will fix this._

The trouble was, she was even starting to doubt her searching abilities.

She opened her architecture book, and saw that Leigh had written her a note.

_Stay strong. We believe in you._

A small smile crossed Annabeth's face. She was still in the game.

* * *

Leo, Jason, and Piper were back from their quest, and Annabeth had a strange excitement brewing in her stomach.

_A Roman camp, guarded heavily by magic._

It was all the way in California, but Jason had come from there, and he had come here as an exchange with Percy. He _had_ to be there. It was only logical.

_Percy Jackson is at the Roman camp, and he probably has no idea who he is._

That statement had sparked Annabeth's curiosity, but had also sent her spirits plummeting,

_He won't remember me._

Piper had told her that he would, because he cared about her for who she was, He was her best friend as well as her boyfriend. It'd take a miracle for him to forget her.

Leo was already working on the _Argo II_, and making excellent progress. But he was killing himself.

_Percy, don't you forget about me._

When Annabeth saw Percy again, she wasn't sure if she would scream at him, hug him, tackle him, kiss him, or completely snap him in half. Her feelings had been so mixed since he'd been gone.

A thought popped into her head.

_Maybe a judo flip…_

* * *

Leo burst into the commons' area, looking worse for wear. Machine grease was all in his hair, and on his hands. He had various cuts and bruises, not to mention he looked ready to drop.

Annabeth had been sitting with Jason and Piper, and the three of them jumped up instantly.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"It's done!" Leo nearly shouted. "The _Argo_'s done!"

"Oh my Gods!" Piper yelled, and hugged Leo, despite the machine grease.

Annabeth stepped forward and gave Leo a huge high five, and that impish grin spread across his face.

"Hedge has to come." Piper told them.

Annabeth already knew this, and she was so excited that she didn't even care.

Yes, the game was still on, and Annabeth was a player.

* * *

**Whew! Over 1,000 words! Still not very long, but it's the longest thing I've ever posted! Spend three days writing this for you guys! Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**

**~Wisdom's Daughter Alone**


End file.
